US President Donald Trump presided over the signing of a peace declaration between Thailand and Cambodia in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, kicking off a week-long high-stakes diplomatic tour of Asia.
President Trump flew to Malaysia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and on Sunday signed separate trade deals with Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as critical minerals agreements with Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
A highlight of his appearance was the declaration of peace between Cambodia and Thailand, which built on the ceasefire agreement reached in July, which halted deadly border clashes.
The agreement was signed by the prime ministers of neighboring ASEAN countries, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and was overseen by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who currently holds the ASEAN chair.
Regional leaders hailed the ceasefire as “historic,” but the two sides are deeply divided over decades of conflict over the border and temples claimed by both sides.
So what does the deal include and can the ceasefire really hold?
What do we know about the peace deal?
In a joint declaration signed by the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia on Sunday, the neighboring countries pledged an “unwavering commitment to peace and security,” pledged an immediate cessation of hostilities, and reaffirmed pledges made in early July to avoid the use of force and respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The “Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement,” as President Trump has dubbed it, represents the most detailed attempt yet to end fighting between Thailand and Cambodia along the disputed border.
The core of the agreement is a military de-escalation plan under the supervision of ASEAN member states. Both sides agreed to remove heavy weapons from the border area and return it to regular bases subject to verification by the new ASEAN Observer Mission (AOT).
Beyond military measures, the agreement also addressed “information warfare” that has emerged in recent months and heightened tensions between the two countries. Bangkok and Phnom Penh pledged not to spread false or inflammatory claims through official or unofficial channels.
Both governments have committed to resume normal diplomatic engagement and coordinate local-level consultations through established mechanisms such as the General Boundaries Commission and the Joint Boundaries Commission.
The two countries also pledged to coordinate and carry out humanitarian demining in border areas, which is one of the key triggers behind the recent fighting.
Upon implementation, Thailand has pledged to release 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in fighting this year.
How did each side react?
Mr. Anutin said Bangkok is a symbol of peace and that “the full implementation of this declaration will lay the foundations for lasting peace.”
Hun Manet called the signing of the joint declaration a “historic day.”
“The process of repairing relations between the two countries will begin,” Anutin said, adding that “innocent civilians have suffered untold losses.”
Anwar said the agreement “reminds us that reconciliation is not a concession, but a courageous act.”
Trump spoke the longest.
“Everyone seems a little surprised that (the ceasefire) was completed so quickly,” Trump said, sitting at a table with regional leaders in front of a backdrop that read “Delivering Peace.”
“My administration immediately began working to prevent the conflict from escalating,” he added, recalling how he learned of the fighting during a visit to Scotland’s Turnberry Golf Course in July.
“I said this is much more important than a round of golf,” Trump said, adding, “We could have a lot of fun, but this is more fun…saving people, saving the country.”
President Trump boasted, “My administration has never ended eight wars in eight months.” “I wouldn’t call it a hobby, because it’s more serious, but it’s something I’m good at and I love it.”
What was the fight about?
Relations between Thailand and Cambodia are at their worst in decades.
The 800-kilometre (about 500-mile) long border between the Southeast Asian neighbors has long been a source of conflict. The two countries are in dispute over the border drawn in Cambodia in 1907 during the French colonial era.
The border area is home to many centuries-old temples, some of which are claimed by both sides. The disputed territory is also home to communities with shared ancestry and traditions on both sides of the border.
In February, the conflict over the Khmer temple Prasat Ta Moang Thong escalated after Thai police reportedly prevented Cambodian tourists from singing the national anthem at the disputed site.
Tensions escalated in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a border dispute, leading to a troop buildup on both sides and a full-blown diplomatic crisis.
Fighting then escalated in late July, leaving dozens of people dead on both sides in the five days before a ceasefire was reached. At least 300,000 people were evacuated on both sides.
President Trump called both leaders and insisted there would be no trade deal if fighting continued. The United States is the largest export market for both countries.
However, tensions resurfaced in August when a Thai soldier was injured by a landmine while patrolling the buffer zone between the two countries. Thailand accused Cambodia of violating the ceasefire and laying new mines, a charge strongly denied by Phnom Penh.
The expanded peace agreement included clearing land mines and removing heavy weapons along the border.
What is the current situation on the ground?
For now, the truce continues. However, the situation remains fragile due to local conflicts and conflicting political positions in both countries.
At Sunday’s ceremony, the two countries’ prime ministers thanked President Trump for his efforts. Hun Manet also reminded President Trump that he nominated the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize, which President Trump campaigned for but was unable to win when this year’s award was presented this month.
Amid the tensions, countries have closed their land borders, which continues to disrupt bilateral trade, which totaled up to $10.45 billion last year.
Earlier this month, Hun Sen, Cambodia’s longtime leader and Hun Manet’s father, complained to the United Nations about the “extremely high-pitched noise” being broadcast across the border.
Mr Hun Sen, who remains in power, said Thailand was broadcasting ghostly sounds from Sisaket province, and the Cambodian Human Rights Commission accused Thailand of “performing psychological warfare”.
The commission said that since October 10, loudspeakers have been broadcasting high-decibel sounds of “ghosts,” children crying, dogs howling, and the roar of helicopters.
It has been revealed that Thai social media activist Khannawat Pongpaiburwech, also known as Kang Chongparan, has been making loud noises every night in Ban Non Chan and Ban Non Ya Kaew in Sisaket province, The Nation newspaper reported.
Khannawatra said he had received permission to carry out the operation from the Thai Army Regiment, which oversees security in the border area, and said the aim was to drive out Cambodian settlers invading Thai territory.
Mr Anutin told The Nation he did not believe the tactic violated any human rights principles. “We only did it to protect our sovereignty,” he said.
Will the ceasefire hold?
Chan Vanaris, a political analyst and chairman of the Cambodian Parliamentary Advisory Committee, told Al Jazeera that the joint declaration was a “positive and important step towards restoring peace and normalcy” in the region.
“The ceasefire remains in place, but the international community must continue to closely monitor its implementation,” Banaris said, adding that President Trump’s role in brokering the agreement was “crucial.” “He’s very attached to this matter,” he added.
But he said exploiting tensions in Bangkok for domestic politics “could change the balance of power.”
After the summit, ASEAN countries will have to grapple with the lasting effects of the Thai-Cambodian conflict in the coming years, and “the Philippines could take the chair next year, and perhaps Singapore could take the chair in 2027, when ASEAN celebrates its 60th anniversary,” said Thithinan Ponsdilak, a professor and senior fellow at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University Institute for Security and International Studies, who said after the summit that ASEAN countries will have to contend with the lasting effects of the Thai-Cambodian conflict in the coming years.
Although progress has been made in negotiations to reduce tensions and reset border negotiations, the respective governments of Thailand and Cambodia “appear to be intent and motivated to fan the flames of nationalism for domestic political gain,” he said.
On the Thai side, Thitinan said Anutin is “likely to use domestic anti-Cambodian sentiment and reactions to gain an electoral advantage ahead of new opinion polls by the second quarter of next year.”
In Cambodia, Mr. Hun Manet could mobilize anti-Thai discontent and resentment to maintain political control and divert attention from allegations involving Cambodia-based fraud centers and cross-border crimes, Thitinan said.
“The Thai-Cambodian conflict has become an albatross for ASEAN, and intensive mitigation and resolution within bilateral ASEAN mechanisms is urgently needed,” Titinan said.
He added that such actions must go beyond the agenda of Washington and China.
